Driving mechanism for churns



Oct. 8, 1935.

A. C. HO UGLA'ND DRIVING MECHANISM FOR CHURNS Filed Aug. 17, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet l M M /I\ O M we C n 8 Z S 1,. m s Q} m 63H 1935- A. c. HOUGLAND DRIVING MECHANISM FOR CHURNS I 3 Sheets-$heet 2 Filed Aug. 17, 1931 Oct. 8, 1935.

A. C. HOUGLAND PRIVING MECHANISM FOR CHURNS Filed Aug. 17, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 gwmm filZerZ Cfi/ou lazwt Patented Oct. 8, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE 2,016,499 DRIVING MECHANISM FOR CHURNS Application August 17, 1931, Serial No. 557,597 In Canada October 9, 1930 5 Claims.

It is my object to provide for churns a novel arrangement of driving and controlling mechanism, together with a compact, protective housing, adapted to prolong the life of the machine.

5 Other objects are: to promote smooth operation and facility in operating the several churn elements; to 'guard against damage to the mechanism by improper operation and to generally improve the construction and arrangement of the 10 controls.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is an end view of a churn with my improved drive; Fig. 2 is a vertical section through 15 the drive taken on the line22 of Fig. 4 and with a portion of the gear housing removed; Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken longitudinally through the main drive shaft and gear housing; Fig. 4 is a horizontal section through the axis 20 of the churn and drive and with the gear housing cover removed; Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3; Fig. 6 is a. trans verse section through the several shafts taken on the line 6-45 of Fig. 4 and. Fig. 7 is a frag- 25 mentary, side View showing the openings in the gear housing for the horizontal control levers.

In the drawings, the numeral 8 indicates a large churn of the common type which is revoluble about a horizontal axis and supported 30 large bearings at its end. A large spider 9 is secured to one end of the churn body and has radially extending arms to which are fixed a tubular shaft I (Fig. 4) extending coaxially with the churn. This shaft I0 is journaled in a 35 suitable trunnion I I supported on a gear housing I2. Alarge spur gear l3'is fixed on the shaft I9 for turning the churn body and extending axially through the shaft I0 is a second shaft I4 for driving butter working rolls. I Within the churn 40 body. These rolls are journaled in ahead or end wall I6 of the churn and are adapted to be driven by intermeshing spur gears I'I embraced within the spider 9. One of the gears I1 is located centrally on the end of the churn and is 45 fixed on the shaft I4 to drive the other gears I1.

Normally revoluble on the shaft I4 is a sprocket wheel I8 having a toothed face adapted to be engaged by a sliding clutch member I9. This clutch member is keyed to the shaft I4 and 50 is movable by a hand lever 23 to make driving connection between the sprocket wheel l8 and shaft I4. A chain 21 for driving the sprocket wheel I8 is driven by a sprocket wheel 22 fixed on a horizontal shaft 23. A spur gear 24 is also 55 fixed on the shaft 23 and is arranged to continuously mesh with a pinion 25 keyed to a main drive shaft 25 (Fig. 3). As best shown in Figs. 3 and 5, a shaft '21 is mounted in continuation of the shaft 26 in the housing I2 and is supported at one end in a recess in the pinion 25, said pinion having an offset hub 28 which is keyed to the shaft 26. Slidable longitudinally on the shaft 2?, but keyed thereto, is a gear 29 having a hub portion :30 recessed to receive the pinion 25 and to establish driving connection therewith. A hub portion of the gear 29 is formed with a peripheral recess to receive diametrically opposite projections on a fork member 3| for shifting the gear 29 longitudinally on the shaft 27. The gear 29 may be moved to three distinct positions in one of which it is in engagement with the pinion 25. In another position of the gear 29 it is in mesh with a gear 32 on the shaft 23 (Fig. 6), and the third position of the gear .29 is an idle or neutral one. To transmit rotary motion to the large gear I3, a gear 33 is fixed on the shaft 21 and gears 34 and 35 are fixed on a shaft 35. The gear 33 meshes with the gear 34 and the gear 35 with the gear I3.

The several shafts 23, 21, and 35 have suitable bearings in the end walls of the gear housing I2 and said housing has a large removable cap I2a to allow access to the gears, shafts and bearings therein. As shown in Fig. '7, the cap I211 has an opening 31 through which the hand lever 29 projects and another opening 38 for a gear shift lever 39. As shown in Fig. 5, the lever 39 is secured to the upper end of a vertical shaft 49 in the housing I2 and the fork 31 is fixed on said shaft. A notched quadrant 4| is secured to the outer surface of the housing I2 to be engaged by a detent 42 movably secured to the lower surface of the lever 39. This detent 42 is spring pressed toward the quadrant M and has a handle 43 adapted to be manipulated to withdraw it from the quadrant. A rigid finger 44 (Figs. 4 and 5) projectsfrom the lever 39 to! engage the lever 20. The finger 44 engages a surface 45 on the lever 20 when thelatter is in 45 position to render the drive shaft I4 for the butter Working rolls inoperative. A stop shoulder 46 on the lever 20 is struck by the finger 44 when the lever '29 is in position to render the butter working rolls operative. The shaft 26 projects from the gear housing I2 and has a suitable bearing support 41 for its outer extremity. V Freely revoluble on the shaft '26 is a pulley 48 adapted to be driven by a suitable motor driven belt. A clutch element 49 of the well known conical type is provided to engage the inner periphery of the pulley 49 and is secured by keys 59 to the shaft 26, said element being slidable longitudinally on the shaft. The element 49 is normally held in driving engagement with the pulley 48 by spring pressed bolts 5!. Coiled springs on the bolts 5i engage a disk 52 and end thrust exerted by said springs, through the bolts 5!, is transmitted by the disk 52 to the ends of the keys 59. r

A collar 53 is freely revoluble in a suitable recess in the clutch element 49 and studs 54 project from a fork member 55 to engage the collar 53 for slnfting the clutch element 49. The fork member 55 is pivotally supported on a bracket 56 secured to the housing l2 and an end of said fork member carries a roller 51 operatively engaging an arcuate cam 58. This cam is secured to the lower extremity of a clutch lever 59 having a pivot 99 projecting from the gear housing !2. A toothed quadrant 6 I is provided to engage a suitable dog on the lever 59 for retaining the lever in predetermined positions. A button 62 on the lever 59 is adapted to be actuated to release the lever from the quadrant 6 l Adjacent to the clutch element 49 is rigidly mounted a brake ring 63 adapted to be engaged by an annular surface 64 on said clutch element. The ring 63 is integral with a cylindrical housing 65 bolted to the gear housing I 2.

Operation In operation, the pulley 48 may be continuously driven by connection with a suitable motor (not shown) and the master clutch, including the element 49 and connections with the lever 59, is employed to render the churn operative or inoperative at will. When the lever 59 is moved to the left from the position shown in Fig. 2, the cam 58 actuates the fork member 55 to withdraw the clutch element 49 from driving engagement with the pulley 48. Continued movement of the lever 59 to the left brings the annular surface 64 of the clutch element 49 into engagement with the stationary brake ring 63, to thereby stop or prevent rotation of the main drive shaft 26. I thus make it possible to quickly and easily stop rotation of the'large churn body 8 in any desired position for filling, emptying or other purpose. By combining the brake with the clutch, I guard against placing undue strain on the mechanism, as in case an attempt is made to drive the churn with the brake in operative position. During the filling of the churn, the clutch element 49 may be maintained in contact with the brake ring 63 and the lever 39 moved to either operative position so that the churn body is held in the desired position. The first operation of the machine for butter making is that of churning and for this operation the churn body is rotated at the higher speed, the lever 39 being moved to its position shown in Fig. 4, and the master clutch element 49 moved to engage the pulley 48. When the lever 39 is moved to that position, the fork 3! is actuated to slide the gear 29 to the right, into direct driving engagement with the pinion 25. The drive is now established directly from the shaft 26 to the shaft 21, thence through the gears 33, 34, 35 and I3, shafts 36 and l 9, and spider 9 to the churn body 8. During the churning at the high speed, I prevent positive driving of the butter working rolls in order to prevent undue strain on the mechanism. To this end, the finger 44 engages the surface 45 on the lever 29 and prevents movement of said lever in such direction as to cause the clutch member I9 to engage the teeth on the sprocket I 8. If an attempt is made to move the lever 39 to the high speed position when the lever 29 is in position to operatively connect the butter working rolls with the power drive, the finger 44 merely strikes stop shoulder 49 on the lever 29. Thus movement of the lever 39 to the high speed position is impossible until the lever 20 has been moved to render the drive for the butter working rolls inoperative.

When the churning operation is complete, the lever 39 may be moved to its neutral position, in which the gear 29 is retained out of engagement with the pinion 25 and gear 32. With the lever 39 in the neutral position and shaft 23 in operation, the shaft 29, chain 2| and sprocket wheel l8 merely idle until the lever 29 is actuated to connect the sprocket wheel 18 with the shaft l4. To drive the rolls l5 the lever 29 is moved to render the shaft l4 operative and for working the butter the lever 39 is then moved from its central, neutral position to the right, as seen in Fig. 4. This moves the gear 29 into mesh with the gear 32 on the shaft 23 so that the slow speed drive is established from pinion 25 to gear 24, to shaft 23, gears 32 and 29, shaft 21, gears 33, 34, 35, and I3, to the churn body. Simultaneously the butter working rolls I5 are rotated through the connections with the shaft 1 4 hereinbefore described. If, as is sometimes desirable, the butter working rolls are to be operated while retaining the churn body stationary, it is only necessary to move the lever 39 to its neutral position and to place the lever 29 in position to connect the sprocket wheel 1 8 with the shaft l4.

What I do claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

35 1. Driving mechanism for a churn having a revoluble body and butter working rolls therein comprising, a gear housing, a shaft in said housing, a second shaft projecting from said housing in axial alignment with said first mentioned shaft, means for driving said first mentioned shaft directly from said second shaft, a sliding gear on said first mentioned shaft, a pinion on said second shaft, a gear train in said housing including a second gear on said first mentioned shaft for rotating said churn body, a counter shaft in said housing, a gear on said countershaft in mesh with said pinion, a second gear on said countershaft arranged to mesh with said sliding gear, a third gear on said countershaft operatively connected to said butter working rolls and power-driven means for rotating said second shaft.

2. Driving mechanism for a churn having a revoluble body and butter working rolls therein comprising, a gear housing, a shaft in said housing, a second shaft projecting from said housing in axial alignment with said first mentioned shaft, a sliding gear on said first mentioned shaft, a pinion on said second shaft, means formed on said sliding gear and pinion for driving said first-mentioned shaft directly from said second shaft, a gear train in said housing including a second gear on said first mentioned shaft for rotating said churn body, a countershaft in said housing, a gear on said countershaft in mesh with said pinion, a second gear on said countershaft arranged to mesh with said sliding gear, a third gear on said countershaft operatively connected to said butter working rolls and power-driven means for rotating said second shaft.

3. Driving mechanism for a churn having a revoluble body and butter working elements comprising, a shaft for driving said butter working elements, a second shaft operatively connected to said body for rotating the same, change speed gearing for driving said second shaft at relatively high and low speeds, a manually operable element for changing speeds, a second manually operable element for rendering said first mentioned shaft operative and means operatively connected to said change speed element for preventing the movement of said second manually operable element to operative position when said churn body is driven at the relatively high speed.

4. Driving mechanism for a churn having a revoluble body and butter working elements comprising, a shaft for driving said butter working elements, a second shaft operatively connected to said body for rotating the same, change speed gearing for driving said second shaft at relatively high and low speeds, a manually operable lever for changing speeds, a second manually operable lever for rendering said first mentioned shaft operative, said levers being mounted in proximity to each other, and interengaging members associated with said levers for preventing the driving of said butter working elements when said churn body is driven at the relatively high speed.

5. Driving mechanism for a churn having a revoluble body and butter working elements comprising, a shaft for driving said butter working elements, a second shaft operatively connected to said body for rotating the same, change speed gearing for driving said second shaft at relatively high and low speeds, a manually operable element for changing speeds, a second manually operable element for rendering said first mentioned shaft operative and means for preventing the driving of said butter working elements when said churn body is driven at the relatively high speed and for preventing the driving of said churn body at the relatively high speed when said first mentioned shaft is operative.

ALBERT C. HOUGLAND. 

